Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The Real Names of Old Hollywood's Stars

Ever wondered if the stars from yesterday were really born with names like Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, James Cagney, Carol Lombard, or Clark Gable? Well, some of them were and some of them weren't.

Here are some classic films stars and their real birth names:
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth = Margarita Carmen Cansino 
Cary Grant
  Cary Grant = Archibald Leach 
Barbara Stanwyck
 Barbara Stanwyck = Ruby Katherine Stevens 
John Wayne
John Wayne = Marion Robert Morrison
Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall = Betty Joan Perske 
John Garfield
John Garfield = Jacob Julius Garfinkle
Veronica Lake
Veronica Lake =  Constance Frances Marie Ockelman 
Tony Curtis
 Tony Curtis = Bernard Schwartz
Mark Pickford
 Mary Pickford = Gladys Louise Smith 
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas = Issur Danielovitch


Weren't these fun!? I can see now why many did change their names but many like Lauren Bacall still went by their birth names when it came to close family and friends. Today she still prefers to be called Betty. 

The changing of the names is a reminder of how much control the film studios had on their actors and also how powerful a name can be in changing ones images or public persona.

21 comments:

  1. I think Barbara Stanwyck's real name is much pretty and still kind of "Hollywood".

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    1. I agree-I love her name being Ruby. I think she acted and sounded like a Ruby for sure!! xox

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  2. Thanks for this Bunny! So much fun! Hollywood controlled stars lives so much, but I think Cary Grant probably enjoyed not being Archibald Leach. Ha! Weren't old stars so glamorous?
    ~xoxo, CoriLynn

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    1. Heheh I think you are SOOO right about Cary Grant! They were sooo glam-swoon! xox

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  3. Aaaw, and tehy all looked so gorgeous! I'm not sure, but I think Lauren Bacall took her mother's maiden name as stage name. And oh yes, I agree, Archibald is probably not the name you can get famous with... :-) Nonetheless, compared to the names some people give to their kids today, I like the old ones more...

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    1. I so agree Doris! Yes I believe it was her mothers last name that she took :) xox

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  4. What a great post, Bunny! This was fascinating! :) Funnily enough, to me, most of their names were more interesting before they changed them - or at least, just as great sounding (especially Rita Hayworth's real name!)....but I totally understand why Cary Grant changed his name hahahahhahaha! :)

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    1. Awww thank you sweetie! Haha I agree-thank goodness Cary Grant changed his hehe xox

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  5. Love this! I had no idea so many of them changed their names. Why would you change from Ruby to Barbara? I would love to know how they made their decisions on these stage names ;)

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    1. Thank you hun! A lot of them didn't have a choice. The studios or their managers did it for them. Geesh the things people do for fame. Its not going by a stage name today in a world of the internet where you do it for your privacy to an extent or safety but yeah it is soo interesting! xox

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  6. This is so wonderfully cool! I knew a few, but certainly not all of them. I can't help but think, too, that this post seems especially well suited to kick October, a month when many of us will disguise our true identity with a costume (not a stage name, but still a form of altering part of how people see us), off with.

    ♥ Jessica

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    1. Hheeh I love that Jessica! You are such a smart cookie! Thank you! xox

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  7. Oh I didn't know for all of them, like Lauren Bacall!
    Thanks for this post. How are you dear Bunny? Long time I didn't comment here! ♥♥

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    1. Oh thank you Nella!!! Happy to see you here! xox

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    2. Yes! I just reopened my Google account and my blog. So long without blogging / reading cool blogs!

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  8. Such an interesting topic
    Kate the old fashioned way

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  9. How interesting is this post! It's amazing how the right name can give you the right image. Great post!

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  10. Great post, Bunny! Make you wonder how many other stars have changed their names.

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    1. Thank you sweetie! Working on a part two post hehe xox

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